


a meeting in the middle

by jasminemai



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Character Death, F/M, but william and mia are their babies, i know it's not really olicity, spec fic, spoilers for the finale, very much based around the love they have for each other and their family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 09:41:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22448065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasminemai/pseuds/jasminemai
Summary: A grieving William is in need of a pep talk. Who better to give it than his little sister Mia.Based on promo pics for the finale so please only read if you're happy to see minor spoilers.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 6
Kudos: 88





	a meeting in the middle

She finds him hidden towards the back of the lair, near the server room. He’s lying on his back, hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling in front of him. An old jacket of their fathers is draped over him; Felicity must have done it when she’d gone to check on him a few hours earlier. She doesn’t know this version of her brother. She could only really remember William as a college student; away half the year but always returning for holidays. She remembers her brother as someone out and proud of his sexuality; seeing him struggle with it now breaks her heart a little. More than anything, she just wants to hug him and tell him that everything is going to be okay.

But she and William and promised each other long ago that they would never lie to each other. It had saved their lives and relationships time and time again. She owed her brother more than half-truths and lies.

The next few months are hard. She doesn’t remember them since she’s currently an infant, but William had never shied away from the fact that his grief and anger had overtaken his life for a while, causing him to clash with the entire family.

Mia finds herself in a bit of a pickle; she can either leave her brother alone, or she can talk to him. Not that she’d know what to say since she’s not supposed to know her father at all. The post-crisis universe reset had taken that one good thing away from her. Though she supposes that she’ll always have those memories. Then there are the rules of time travel. She shouldn’t even be here anymore. If she tells her brother anything will she change the timeline? She doesn’t think William’s ever mentioned meeting this version of herself when he was still a teenager. Then again, she doesn’t think he’d be able to without influencing the timeline.

Just thinking about time travel is enough to bring on a headache. She’d always enjoyed watching Doctor Who with her family though she never understood the time travel aspect of it as well as her mother and brother had.

“I know you’re there,” William finally says. “You can come in. I don’t think we’ll break any time travel rules. You just can't tell me anything important about the future though."

With his permission she walks towards the bunk, settling herself down on what looked like a bedside table. “Who determines what is important and what isn't?"

"I think we do," William replies. They lapse into silence. William is as fidgety as she is. He can't seem to decide if he's more comfortable with his legs crossed or apart, or his arms under the back of his head or across his chest. “I’m taller than you in the future right?”

Mia’s taken aback by the random question. “Only when I don’t wear heels.”

William appears to mull this over for a moment. Then his expression hardens into something more decisive. “I know that time travel laws won’t really allow you to tell me much, but in the future, do you, like _know _about me?”

“Well we were raised in the same house so yeah?” She doesn't mean for her tone to be as snarky, but William simply challenges her. 

“No, I mean, do you know I’m-” he stops, tears springing to his eyes. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

Mia doesn’t want to forget though. She wants her brother to love himself as much as she and her parents love him. “I don’t know if this will make you feel better or worse if it’ll help make things better or if it'll make things worse.” William doesn't stop her so she continues on. “There was a timeline, different from this one. I don’t really remember much, but I know that in that timeline you didn’t come back. We only met when I was twenty. So, you never got the chance to come out to either of our parents. Then, we got sent back to this time before crisis, when dad was still alive and literally the first thing you did when you had a moment alone was tell him your truth.”

William tenses, his eyes welling with tears. “What did he think?”

“Oh Will,” Mia whispers, tears falling now. “He was so proud of you. When you came to bed that night it was like this weight had lifted off your shoulders.”

“Thank you,” William sniffles. “I hate that I can’t tell him now.”

“You can still tell Felicity.”

William nods. “I’ll think about it.”

“Do you not know who the Timeless child is yet?” She asks suddenly, snatching the tablet away and studying it more closely. “Dude, that storyline is _epic._”

William bolts upright, eyes wide and excited. “Wait, do you _know _what happens?”

“Umm yeah? This storyline is legendary in my time. Everything that comes after is compared to this arc.”

“You have to tell me! I’ve been stressing for _weeks _about this whole arc. Please tell me it doesn’t go for three years until 2023 for the 60thanniversary.” He pauses and considers his words. “Wait no, I don’t want to know. If I’m the only person in existence that knows how it ends, I’ll spoil it for everyone.”

“In my timeline, you watch it live. And you _love it. _You literally never stop bragging about the fact that you remember watching it for the first time.” She considers her next words carefully. “You told me that the best part about it was watching it with mom because you’d spend hours every week just debating different theories.”

William’s smile reminds her so much of her brother that her heart aches a little. She loves this William, but she misses her William.

“Thank you, really,” William tells her. “I know our family is crazy and complicated, but I’m really glad we got to meet, little sister.”

Mia finds herself agreeing. “Same here big bro.”

She doesn’t really remember what else they talk about. It’s mostly just chit chat, while they avoid the topics that are too hard to talk about. Eventually, Felicity comes over and checks on them, her eyes gleaming with tears. She wants nothing more than to reach out and comfort her mom, but she stops herself. Her mom doesn’t need _her _right now, she needs William.

“Mom?” William asks uncertainly. Felicity’s eyes widen almost comically as she realizes what he’s just said. Mia can tell she’s trying desperately to hold back tears or babble or _something. _“I have something I need to tell you.”

Felicity steels herself, perching on the same nightstand that Mia had earlier. “I’m all ears,” she promises.

William glances over his shoulder at her in assurance. “I- um- well, the thing is- I, I’m gay.”

Felicity smiles softly to herself. “Okay,” she says simply.

William frowns. “Is that it? You don’t have any questions or concerns or lectures? You’ve got nothing? You’re not even a little surprised?”

Felicity pins him with a look. “Your father and I knew, Will. We just wanted to give you the space to tell us yourself. Wherever he is, I know he’s as proud of you as I am.”

“I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, my beautiful boy.”


End file.
